Financial aid and student debt have become hot topics in higher education, not to mention mainstream media. As the Director of Communications for Scholarships & Student Aid at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Eric Johnson knows the ins and outs of how we talk about student aid. He recounts his favorite parts of the job, and presents the breadth of disciplines associated with a career in financial aid-- from information design and marketing to politics and behavioral economics.

Separately, Mary Beth Marks is the assistant vice president for enrollment management at Sul Ross State University, and Robert Hogeda Jr. is the educational manager for Higher Education in the Southwestern Regional Office of the College Board. Together, they’re a dream team that is quietly shaping the future of the Southwestern Region. Intrigued? So were we. All Access chatted with Robert and Mary Beth to see what exactly makes their working relationship so special, and why it’s good for Sul Ross State, the College Board and, most important, students.

After a year of planning, strategizing, traveling, filming, and editing video footage, Roadtrip Nation’s Why Not Us?, a documentary film co-produced by Roadtrip Nation and College Board will premier on PBS. You can access a five-minute promotional trailer, download the companion discussion guide and view the full-length documentary at CBWhyNotUs.org.

Every year by May 1, thousands of high school seniors make a decision that will affect the rest of their lives: where they will go to college. “Decision Day” as it is often referred to, is an important day not only for the thousands of students deciding where to attend college, but also for our K-12 members who have supported these students on their way to college and our higher education members who get to welcome these students to their institutions.

Tomeka Hart, a member of the inaugural cohort of the College Board’s Professional Fellowship Program, has been an active member of the education community in her hometown of Memphis for over eight years. From working with Teach for America as a vice president of African American community partnerships to serving as the commissioner of the Memphis City/Shelby County Schools Board of Education, Ms. Hart has been a strong advocate for expanding educational opportunities for all students.

On Tuesday, March 9, students and teachers from across New York state met with legislators in the state capitol of Albany to highlight the college, career, and financial benefits of the College Board’s Advanced Placement Program® (AP®). They discussed with the legislators how taking challenging course work in high school is a vital component in helping students transition to college and beyond, and how the AP Program provides New York students with opportunities to deeply explore their interests while building the skills they need for the future.

For decades, Thomas Edison State College has been granting credit to students for learning that they have acquired through workplace training, professional certifications, and military service. Stephen Phillips and Marc Singer from Thomas Edison State College provide an overview of the institution's Open Course Option.